Travel trailer

• US 6,860,545 B1
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teton Buildings, LLC
• Original Assignee: B&B Homes Corporation
• Inventors: Ingram, Anthony G., Johnson, Marion B., Harkins, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KIRAN B
• Application Number:
  US10/336,232
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 296/184.1, 296/168, 296/181, 296/156, 296/24.2, 296/24.1, 296/37.1, 280/433, 280/789
• US Class Current: 296/184.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/36 Auxiliary arrangements; Arrangements of living accommodation toilet or washing arrangements B60R15/00; Details
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/20 trailer type, i.e. a frame specifically constructed for use in a non-powered vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/061 of flat bed or low loader type or fitted with swan necks detachable swan necks B62D53/065; swan neck-fifth wheel couplings B62D53/08

Abstract

A travel trailer having a two-level chassis supporting at least two discrete floor sections at at least two different heights above the ground with at least one of those floors having a bathroom portion being supported by an upper chassis beam is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the chassis has a substantially horizontal forward upper portion and a substantially horizontal rearward lower portion, and an upper floor is secured to the upper portion and a lower floor is secured to the lower portion with an intermediate floor positioned below the upper edge of the upper portion of the chassis to a height intermediate that of the upper and lower floors. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the intermediate floor is suspended below the upper chassis portion. The area underneath the intermediate section and above the bottom of the trailer defines a storage area that is not blocked or limited in size by the width of the chassis beams. In a more preferred embodiment, common fixed trailer accessories, such as gray and black water tanks, their related plumbing, trailer heaters and the like are clustered together within and near a limited section of the storage area, such as near the rear of the storage area, such that the majority of the storage area remains unoccupied. Accordingly, storage space within the storage area is optimized, and the full height of the storage area is available throughout the majority of the storage area to accommodate oversized objects.

Claims

1. A two-level chassis for use on a fifth-wheel travel trailer having at least two floor areas supported at at least two different heights above the ground defining at least an intermediate and lower floors, said chassis including:

a pair of parallel aligned spaced apart substantially horizontal lower chassis beams;

a pair of parallel aligned spaced apart substantially horizontal upper chassis beams, each having an upper edge;

a pair of vertical riser assemblies, each riser assembly securing one upper chassis beam to one lower chassis beam such that said upper beam is vertically above and parallelly-aligned with said lower beam;

the lower floor supported by said lower beam;

the intermediate floor defining a bathroom portion and a bedroom portion;

said bathroom portion and said bedroom portion having floors aligned substantially at the same horizontal height without a step therebetween, at least a portion of said bathroom portion supported by said upper chassis beams at a vertical height above said lower floor.

2. The two-level chassis of claim 1, wherein the lower beam has a lower edge that defines the bottom of the chassis, and the area below the intermediate floor, forward of the vertical riser assemblies and above the bottom of the chassis is enclosed and defines a storage area having a storage area floor.

3. The two-level chassis of claim 2, wherein the storage area has a height, and said height is high enough to accommodate at least one conventional 40 pound LPG removable bottle in its standing position within the storage area.

4. The two-level chassis of claim 3, further including a sliding planar member secured to the storage area floor for easily loading and unloading said 40 pound LPG removable bottles within said storage area.

5. The two-level chassis of claim 1, wherein said upper and lower chassis beams are steel I-beams.

6. The two-level chassis of claim 1, wherein the intermediate floor is suspended completely below said upper chassis beams.

7. The two-level chassis of claim 5, wherein said upper chassis beams have a vertical web, upper and lower flanges, and a lower edge, and said intermediate floor is supported by said lower flanges.

8. The two-level chassis of claim 1, wherein the intermediate floor is positioned below said upper edge of said upper chassis beams.

9. The two-level chassis of claim 1, wherein said bathroom portion is positioned over said upper chassis beams without extending over said lower chassis beam.